Do the work you love?!

Many years ago, I heard a phrase that was something like this quote from Confucius “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”??Maybe the person I heard this from was paraphrasing.?Anyway… the concept is clear… right???Then why do I talk to so many people that are doing work they don't want to be doing?

In consulting, many are in it for the money.?Some fell into the career as it was the only choice they had at the time.?The most common thing I found with a lot of consultants is that they liked the challenge and the change of projects.??What I liked most was learning about the different companies and the different industries.?Even though there were some positive attributes, the pain of dealing with tough clients, unsupportive co-workers, tight timelines, unclear scopes or SOW causes a lot of consultants and IT professionals to grind through their careers stressed and unhappy.

One thing I learned in my journey to find the right job, was to find what I liked to do.?I started out as a programmer, which was fun.?In some of my customers' eyes, I was a wizard.?I then moved into project management.?PMing was great too… when you had a super great team (ok, maybe the team made the job easier.)?The joy would last, but not for the entire role.?So, I wondered why it changed.

What I found out was that each of us has a Zone.?You may have heard the zone reference more with sports.?You might have seen an athlete perform at a super-high level for a championship game.?At the end of the game, a reporter would ask “What got into you, that you performed so well?”?The athlete would reply “I don't know, I was in the zone!”???

All of us are not built the way most athletes are, and they certainly have specific athletic gifts. ?What if you could find your zone, understand it, and put a phrase or words around it??Once you get an understanding of your true gift, you can leverage that in your work.?

When you are not feeling great about your job, your team, your career then you are most likely out of alignment with your zone (or your gift).?If you understood your zone, you could switch into it, you could evaluate the situation, or you can make a decision to move on.

Once I figured out my zone… which is to provide joyful experiences, my world changed.?I became a Customer Care Manager and then a Delivery Director.?My career took off, my customers were happy, my team members were loyal.??At various times, my career and job became unbearable, stressful, and was no longer fulfilling. When this happened, I did an assessment with my zone and realized my managers were hindering my ability to serve in my zone.

The main reason I help IT Consultants and IT Professionals in their careers is because I can provide them with a service that is in my zone.?I help them perform better on projects, so in a ripple effect they will give a good experience to their customers.?

I will also help my clients figure out their zone, so they can find jobs and roles that are in alignment with their true gift.?If they are miserable in their current role and changing companies is the best option, I want them to take a role that is going to be fulfilling and can allow them to live their full potential.?The worst thing someone can do is to take a new job without considering their zone or their true gift.?Because in 6 to 9 months, after the honeymoon phase is over, they will be right back where they started… miserable, stressed, and unfulfilled.

Coaching is not about giving you advice (although, I will if you need it), it is about unlocking your potential, finding your specific combination lock to get you unstuck, it is about getting past your own thinking so you can flourish with ease.

Do not forget…I am a developer.?I am a very analytical person.?I do not get the “woo-hoo” stuff.?If that is for you, great… not for me.?What I found is a system with crystal clear steps.?Once I started putting the Success Principles in place in a systematic way… not only did it make sense, but it worked.?

I want to share that learning experience with you. ?Schedule a Career Clarity Call with me today.?Let us carve out 15 minutes to meet and find where you are in your career.?I do not pitch or sell on this call; it is just to meet.?If there is a good fit for both of us, we will schedule a complimentary coaching session. ??

Click Here to Schedule a Career Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/swalsh-2b/ccc